Engineered Hardwood Flooring
We have provided outstanding engineered hardwood flooring products for over 50 years now. We stock 1st quality, builder grade, blue label, and utility grade to match any flooring budget. All our engineered hardwood flooring ships nationwide to your home or a shipping terminal. We have engineered hardwood that is made in the USA. An engineered wood floor is more resistant to moisture and climate changes than traditional solid hardwood flooring. Your home will look stunning with a new hardwood floor at a price that is easy on the pocket book.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring Is Stable and Versatile
Odds are your home is the perfect candidate for engineered hardwood floors. Engineered hardwood flooring handles moisture changes better than solid hardwood.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring Can Handle More Moisture Changes
Large changes in moisture content can cause big problems for planks made with solid wood. Large seasonal humidity changes and prolonged vacancy times can cause moisture problems. While not waterproof like LVP, plank engineered hardwood flooring with thick multilayered cores combats cupping in planks made from solid wood.
How To Compare Engineered Wood Flooring Quality
The quality of engineered hardwood flooring depends on how well a flooring manufacturer builds the core. The core is usually made from layers of plywood. Each plywood's grain is placed to run perpendicular to the plywood layer below and on top. This creates added stability to prevent cupping and warping.
Plywood Layers in Engineered Wood Floors
When these layers absorb excess moisture in the air, they expand in opposing directions. This prevents the cupping that occurs with big changes in humidity. One of the most important parts of plank engineered hardwood flooring construction is how many plys the flooring has. More plys equals more stability.
The Engineered Hardwood Veneer and Wear Layer
The veneer on top of engineered hardwood flooring is a slab of solid wood. This is why it's almost impossible to tell an engineered floor from a solid one.
The same Janka hardness ratings still apply when shopping for engineered hardwood. A hickory engineered floor will typically outlast a birch or larch wood floor.
Domestic Hardwood is Sourced For Us
Most of the engineered hardwood flooring from the US will feature Appalachian hardwoods. Large inventories of red oak, white oak, hard maple, and hickory are common with local sourced lumber.
Installation Options For an Engineered Floor
A perk to engineered hardwood flooring is it allows more installation methods than solid. Engineered can be nailed or stapled down to a wooden subfloor. It can also be glued down on concrete subfloors, or even floated!
Engineered Hardwood Should Be Nailed Down for Increased Durability
We recommend you nail or staple engineered hardwood floors. The next best method is to glue down these floors. If you have an uneven subfloor, then using the floating installation method is best.
How To Save Money On Your Engineered Hardwood Purchase
Most of our engineered inventory is made in the United States. You can save a ton of money by purchasing lower grades of hardwood. Lower grades have more character, shorter boards, and more natural defects. Engineered hardwood flooring cost is competitive with premium laminate and LVP options.
Engineered Hardwood in Lower Grades
Expect to see expansive wood grain in our prefinished engineered floors with mineral streaks, wood knots, checks, big wear layer thickness specs, and higher color variation in grade under 1st Quality.
We offer 1st Quality, Builder Grade, Blue Label, and utility-grade flooring. Check out our blog to learn how maintaining engineered floors can be quite simple when compared to solid options.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring vs Other Options
Engineered Hardwood vs Laminate
When comparing engineered hardwood flooring vs laminate, engineered hardwood features a real hardwood veneer that can be refinished, while laminate is a photographic image that cannot be refinished. The best engineered hardwood flooring adds real value to your home and provides authentic wood character that laminate cannot replicate.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring vs LVP
The choice between engineered hardwood flooring vs LVP comes down to priorities. LVP is waterproof but engineered hardwood flooring offers real wood beauty, better resale value, and can be refinished. Our engineered hardwood flooring cost is competitive with premium LVP, making real hardwood accessible at vinyl prices.
Engineered Hardwood vs Hardwood
When weighing engineered hardwood flooring vs hardwood (solid), both are real wood. The key difference is stability. Engineered hardwood flooring's cross-grain construction makes it more stable, allowing installation over concrete and in basements without warping concerns.
Engineered Hardwood FAQs: Common Questions Answered
Shoppers researching engineered hardwood flooring often have questions about cost, performance, and how it compares to alternatives. Below we address the most common questions to help you make a current and informed decision.
Are Engineered Wood Floors Actual Real Wood Flooring?
Yes, engineered hardwood floors are genuine wood flooring with a real hardwood veneer on top. The top wear layer is solid hardwood—the same species you'd find in traditional hardwood floors like oak, hickory, or maple. This means you're experiencing real wood flooring, not a photographic image like laminate or vinyl.
Can You Refinish Engineered Hardwood Floors Like Traditional Hardwood Floors?
Yes, you can refinish engineered hardwood floors, though the number of times depends on wear layer thickness. Our plank engineered hardwood flooring features substantial wear layers (2mm+) that allow for multiple refinishing cycles. This refinishing capability is a major advantage over laminate or LVP, which cannot be refinished at all.
Is Engineered Hardwood Better Than Solid Hardwood?
For moisture-prone areas, basements, over concrete slabs, or homes with significant humidity fluctuations, engineered hardwood flooring performs better than solid hardwood due to superior dimensional stability. The best engineered hardwood flooring costs less while providing the same authentic wood appearance. For most modern homes, engineered hardwood offers the best balance of performance, beauty, and value.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Engineered Hardwood?
The main disadvantages of engineered hardwood are limited refinishing potential compared to solid hardwood and the need for careful moisture management. While engineered hardwood flooring handles humidity better than solid wood, it's not waterproof like LVP, so standing water should be cleaned up promptly. When you choose quality engineered hardwood flooring with thick wear layers (3mm+) and multi-ply construction, these disadvantages become minimal.
Is Engineered Hardwood Waterproof?
Engineered hardwood flooring is not waterproof, but it is more water-resistant than solid hardwood. The cross-grain construction prevents dramatic expansion and contraction when exposed to moisture. It handles kitchen spills and humidity changes far better than traditional hardwood. For truly waterproof flooring, LVP remains best for bathrooms. However, for most residential spaces, engineered hardwood flooring provides sufficient moisture resistance while delivering authentic wood beauty.
Where Can I Find Engineered Hardwood Near Me?
ReallyCheapFloors.com ships a wide selection of premium American-made engineered hardwood flooring nationwide. Our inventory features domestic Appalachian hardwoods including red oak, white oak, hickory, and hard maple in various grades. We carry brushed engineered as well as smooth tongue and groove engineered flooring. By purchasing directly from us, you skip the commonly expensive middleman markup. Whether you're searching "engineered hardwood flooring near me" in a major city or rural area, our nationwide shipping delivers high-quality hardwood at amazing prices per sq ft. really cheap prices.